Door-operating means



Aug. 16, 1927. 1,639,130

T. FLEMING DOOR OPERATING MEANS Filed Nov.;ll, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l THmms FZEMING RTT Aug. 16, 1927. 1,639,130

' T-. FLEMING DOOR V OPERATlNG MEANS Filed Nov. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VENT OR THU/3M5 FLEMING HTTCI ENE Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FLEMING, OF, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

DOOR-OPERATING MEAN S.

Application filed November 11, 1924. Serial No. 749,168.

The present invention appertains generally to the'art of door operating means and specifically to a power operated mechanism adapted for opening and closing heavy doors such as used upon garages and similar To use mechanism constructed in accord-' w ance with what has been disclosed in the art, it is essential to connect'the connecting rods of the device in close proximity to the door pintles orhinging point, in view of the fact that only a short reciprocation is obtainable of using crank arms and equivalent means, as has been taught, and incidentally only doors of the smaller and medium sizes may be operated at the required speed, unless unreasonably large m motors are used.

In addition, one of the principal factors so subversive of the eficiency of the mechanism heretofore devised is that the same is not adapted foruse in very restricted areas 355 to operate large heavy doors, as is ofttimes essential in garages, machine shops and other buildings where overhead shafting, machinery or other obstructions 'would prevent installation of the mechanism.

4%) Cognizant of the foregoing general inadequacies of design, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a compact and durable mechanism which may be operated with the minimum power and 4 which will serve to open and close doors expediently, irrespective of their size and weight, consistent with the purpose of the invention.

A further object of my invention is to pro- 54D vide a mechanism embodying the aforesaid characteristics of construction including a guide-way upon which a crosshead is con- I strained for longitudinal reciprocation and to which a movable closure is connected by 55 appropriate means, said crosshead being reciprocated by a motor driven drum through the medium of a flexible cable trained thereabout and over guide pulleys mounted at the extremities of said guide-way, and connected to the opposite ends of said crosshead so that said crosshead is free to reciprocate the entire length of said guide-way or between predetermined intermediate points, according to the extent of the reciprocation required.

A further object of my invention is to provide a two-way four-pole switch operated by a switch operating member extending longitudinally of said guide-Way, said member being provided with fingers adapted to be abutted by a finger carried by said cross-' head, said fingers on said switch operating member being adjustable so that any required extent of reciprocation, for the purpose of opening and closing doors, may be obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of the character described for opening a door or doors, co-operating with toggle mechanism connected. to said doors and to a stationary support. so that the maximum amount of force may be applied to the doors for opening and closing purposes.

ln addition, the mechanism is susceptible of adjustment to accommodate for doors of different widths and weights and to effeet the door opening and closing operations in the minimum time.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangements of co-operating elements as hereinafter more specifically set forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present application and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating the application of my invention to a arage, the doors thereof being shown in closed position in full lines and in open position in dotted lines, the mechanism being shown partly in section and on a reduced scale, as it would appear when taken on the plane designated by the line 11 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a side elevatiomof the mechanism, the same bein drawn at a larger scale than Fig. 1, parts eing broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional elevation as it would appear when taken on the pliane designated by the line 33 on Fig. 2 an Fig. 4 is the wiring diagram.

The numerals5 and 6 designate the side walls of a building, which for the purpose of the present disclosure will be hereinafter termed a garage, thesame being provided with a front wall 7 having the usual opening therein to permit entrance of a motor vehicle and closure means therefor including a pair of hinged doors 8 and 9, hinged as at 10 and 11 to the front wall 7.

The machine constituting my present invention is adapted to be mounted upon an overhead support above the plane in which the tops of the doors '8 and 9, swing, and when conditions warrant, is preferably mounted upon the ceiling of a building.

"as at 50 an For the purpose of illustration, the lines AB in Figs. 2 and 3 designate a ceiling. A guideway formed of two angle beams 12 and 13 is braced beneath the ceiling by pairs of braces 14 and 15 and pairs of intermediate braces 16 and 17. The lugs 20 on the lower ends of the pairs of braces 14 and 15 are connected to the lugs 19 on the castings; 18 by means of bolts 21. The upperends of the pairs of braces 14 and 15 are provided .with lugs 22 through which "bolts 23 may extend into the ceilin to secure said braces in position. The castlngs 18 which are riveted to the angle beams 12 and 13 as at 24, carry brackets 25 between which cable guide pulleys 26 are rotatably mounted on the pins 27. i

, The crosshead 28, positioned on said guide-way is provided with two aligned openings arranged at an acute an le with respect to the longitudinal axis of t e crosshead to receive the drawbolts 29 and 30, best shown in Fig. 1. The ends of the cable 31 are connected to the looped ends of said drawbolts, and said cable, extends horizontally of the guide-way, is trained over pulleys 26 and is wound tightly about the drum 32, best shown-in Fig. 3.

The drum 32 is mounted u on a shaft 33 which is journaled in the brac ets 34 and 35 integral with the base 36. A worm gear 37 is mounted upon the end of the shaft 33 and is rotated by a worm 38'mounted upon the shaft 39 of the motor 40.

The bolt which extends into the bottom of the crosshead 28 forms a pivotal connection for the connecting rods 42 and 43, the opposite ends of which are connected to the toggles 44 and 45 as at 46 and 47, said tog les being connected to the doors 8 and 9 in c ose proximity to the edges thereof as at 48 and 49, the other ends thereof being connected to bracketsdsupported by the walls 5 and 6 A two-way four-pole switch 52 is mounted upon one of the brackets 16 and is pro- I on the switch operating member 55.

videdwith an arm 53 having a bifurcated extremity which straddles a stop-member 54 The switch operating member referred to extends longitudinally of the guide-way and is supported in bosses 56 through which it is free to reciprocate. Fingers 57 and 57 are adjustably positioned on said member 55 for the purpose of determining the extent of reci rocation of the crosshead 28 as hereina ter more specifically set forth, the same being controlled by the finger 58 on the crosshead 28.

The two-way four-pole switch, designated in its entirety by the numeral 52 has six contacts 59, 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64. When the switch 52 is positioned as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, current travels through the wires 65 and 66, switch 67, wires 68, 69 and 70, through the knife 71 of the switch 52, wires 72, 73, 74 and 75. Current also travels through the knife 76 of the switch 52 and wires 77, 78 and 79. Current entering the wire 80 flows directly through wire 81 to the motor 40, and through the wire 82, the knife 83 of the switch 52 and the wires 84 and 85 and 86. When the two switches are reversed current flows through the wires 65 and 66, the switch 67, the wire 87, the knife 88 of the switch 52, and the wires 74 and 75. Current also flows from the contact 59 through the wire 7 3, the knife 76 of the switch 52 and though the wires 85 and 86. Current also flows through the wires 80 and 82, the knife 83 of the switch 52, and the wires 78 and 79, and also through the wires 80 and 81.

The operation of my device may be described as follows: To open the doors 8 and 9- the switch 67, which may be placed at a remote location with respect to the garage, such as in a residence or any other convenient location, is thrown so that current energizes the motor. The worm 38 meshing with the worm-gear 37 rotates the latter which in turn rotates the drum 32, which winds the cable 31 thereabout and draws the crosshead 28 upon the guide-way in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 2. When the finger '58 of the crosshead strikes the finger 57 on the switch operating member 55, said member is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A so that the stop member 54 will throw the arm 53 of the switch 52 to reverse the same and break'the circuit to the motor, which incidentally stops. By a perusal of Fig. 1 it will be noted that advancement of the crosshead 28 will cause the toggles 44 and 45 to assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Fi 1. From this view it. will be noted I rotating in a reversed direction, rotates the 7 rect-ion indicated by the arrow B. When the fingers 58 thereof strikes the finger 57, the switch operating member is forced in the direction indicated by the arrow B.which action throws the switch arm 53 of the switch 52 to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus breaking the circuit-and reversing the switch for the ensuing operation.

By utilization of the toggles 44 and 45 the maximum force may be applied to the doors 8 and 9 for closing purposes, as is readily obvious, and by virture of the structure which provides for reciprocation of the crosshead 28 substantially the entire length ofthe guide-way, the required extent of reciprocation-may be obtained so that utilization of the toggles in the manner described is made practical.

While I have illustrated the application of my invention for operating doors inwardly it is of course understood that the same will operate with equal efficiency on doors that swing outwardly and where 00- casions demand may be used on double hinged doors or sliding doors without de parting from the spirit of the invention.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of ,co-operating elements may be re sorted to within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. L

l/Vhat I claim as new is:

1. The combination with a movable closure, of a guide-way; a reciprocatable crosshead in said guide-way; means connecting said movable closure and crosshead, an electrio motor-driven drum; a cable engaged thereby extending longitudinally of said guide-way over the ends thereof, and connected to said crosshead at opposite ends; a switch for controlling said motor; a switch operating member extending longitudinally of said guide-way engaging said switch; and means for engaging said crosshead and switch operating member at the extent of predetermined reciprocation of said crossheadtoreverse said switch.

2. The combination with a movable closure, of a guide-way; cable pulleys on the ends thereof; an electric motor-driven drum; a reciprocatable crosshead; means connecting said movable closure and said reciprocatable crosshead; a cable wound about said drum, extended longitudinally of said guideway, trained over said pulleys, and connected to said crosshead at opposite ends; a reversible motor control switch; a reciprocatable switch operating member engaging said switch; fingers adjustable longitudinally on said member; and means extending from said crosshead for abutting said fingers to throw said switch operating member and switch.

- 3. The combination with a door hinged to swing inwardly and a stationary support inwardly thereof; of atoggle connectedto said door and stationary support; a reciprocatable crosshead; and a rod connecting said reciprocatable crosshead and toggle, to open said door when said crosshead is moved in the opposite direction to the direction in which said door .is opened and to close said door when' said crosshead is moved in the opposite direction to which said door is closed.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

THOMAS FLEMING. 

